Torque ball retainer and speedometer



June 9, 1931.

w. R. SMITH 1,809,734

TORQUE BALL RETAINER AND SPEEDOMETER Filed Nov. 1o, 1928 2 Sheets-sheet 1 vJune 9, 19317.

w. R. SMITH 1,809,734

TORQUE BALL RETAINER AND SPEEDOMETER Filed NOV. lO. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 S14-vanto@ @gnat SH01 wmf Patented `lune 9, 1931 t I WILLIAM n siairn, ormonnnaloniro, As'sIGnon- To G'nNERlAnMotrons -c-:onro;al,.1.\.'frio15T,vv

'TORQUE ,BALLRETAINER AND `1'srnnnoivrErnia 1 Y Application 'fuefiNpyemt-er 10,1928. .seriarn'a s1s,-5es.

This invention relates to'motor vehicles'cy andparticularly to) aretain'er :for the ball shaped end ofthe torque tube or 'propeller j shaft'housing, and ajspeedometerdriverasfr- "5 sociated therewith. 't y Y p N kAn object ofthe invention is to providef an improvement inthe vtorque ball retainer which will facilitate assembly. ,t A further object is-to provide for economy l0' both inthe cost of manufacturing andin'the assembly of the parts;

torque ball retainer anV Vinexpensive and eiif cient speedometer drive mechanism, 'one 5` which is easily assembledand disassembled,

and v.One which.v is capable ofl use with` gearsv ofvariable dimensions for use on 'vehicles differing' as tothe size of wheels`tires, etc. i are used. v@ther objects 'andadvantage's will 2'5" be apparent from: the following descriptionl y ln the drawings, Fig. l isa vertical longi#` tudinal section-through the torque ,ball re-y tainer and-the'universal 'joint at the rear of Jthe transmission housing. Fig. 2fis agverti'cal section on line 2-2 of Eig'. 1. Fig?) a per-j spective of ak die cast attachment'for ythe speedometer drive. n f n l Referring by reference characters tothe drawings, numeral '5''representsY altransinis- 3 sion housing of conventional or'any desired` Y form. Therear wall T offthe housing hasa bearing 9ffor a shaft l1, thisr being these-y called spline shaft. Y To, this shaft is ,secured Y the rst element 13 of a universal joint. HThe i 35 V" propeller shaftv 15 is inclosed in a housing `,17

of conventional form, its front end'being yof ,f

spherical or ball shape as at 1,8150v enclose the Y universal joint between the spline shaft@ ll and the propeller-shaftl. yThe rear ele- A further object istev associate with la ment 1 9 of the j ointis,1 as will be understood, securedto 7the front endof the propeller shaft pellerfshaftlhousing. .For this reason thev ypropellerV shaft housing is frequently desig nat'ed asa torque tube and the ball end 18 as the torque ball.

Th'ehousing for thislball yend of theV torque l 1 tube comprises a cup shaft part, Vone endbe- 'ing shaped to encircle the-balllend ofthe torque tube and the otherend having a flange commonlyk secured tothe transmission housing. The'spherical end of the housinglv orv torque ball retainer hasanannular flange 2l f co-operatingwith alike flange23 on a collar 25, the. flanges 21 iand 23` being secured togethe'rby fastening meansf27. C'ojllar25 is downturned at itsend and fisjprovidedlwith cev packing 29 servingas av seal ytoprevent'the entrance of dirt, dustv or theflike.

Onfshaftflhior more correctly, on alnib f partll Of ,the joint ginember 13 is secured a gearBS for driving `an`other Igear connected to Vthe fiexible speedometer-shaft. VIn constructions, of the above, kindjit is morek com-v mon to Vcast 'the torque j ball `I:retainer of such form that thereisa central'openingca'tthe end adjacent the j transmission housing."

From around this opening thelbal-l retainer usually has on one side an outwardly ydirected flange for vattachment tothe 'transmissionl housing, and on vthe other side, the retainer bulges outwardly into a spherical shape to' receive thefspherical end j of the torque tube; In such! constructions ,the only available ,place for fastening the yballV retainer to the ,transf .i

mission housing is" the fiangel r`Since,fhow

everythe space'between thisiange andthe` bulge is limited,y 'capjs'crevvsor the like ycanf` j not 'be used to eiecty the attach,ment ofthe ball retainer. :It has therefore' been common practice to 'employstuds inthe transmission housing, whichstuds pass throughopenings inthe retainer flange.' Nuts are'E then inserted andturned uponptheends of the studs. Be.-A

p'art and thejofdge it has' Abeen .necessary fto This rendersfthe attachment ofthepart's slow and consequently;expensive; i n t 'thepresetlconstructiontheball retainer is shapeddiffereiitly andas shown in thedrawin thespace betweent'he flangeanfdfthe bulge t callSQ'ofjthe limited space b'etweenfthe bulge?,y 'i

95V uselaterallyy enteringteolslto turny thesefnnts'.l

ings. Its end adjacent the transmission housing has an inwardly (not outwardly) directed ange 37 and the retainer itself is so shaped that suitable tools may be passed into the retainer through the spherical shaped opening to engage the fastening means, which may obviousy be simple cap screws. To render this operation possible it is only necessary to make the ball retainer of such dimensions as to permit the insertion of the tool directly to the end of the screws. In other words the minimum radial dimension of the retainer should be at least a little greater than the radial distance of the cap screws.

Furthermore, a retainer of this shape is well adapted to the process of stamping and the drawing is intended to illustrate such a retainer.

As stated above it is common practice to take the speedometer drive from within the torque ball retainer. This is frequently done by providing bearing openings in the wall of the cast ball retainer and mounting a shaft in said bearings. A gear on said shaft within the retainer meshes with a gear on the spline shaft. The ieXible speedometer shaft can thus be driven. In the case of the stamped torque ball retainer I find it especially expedient to secure over an opening 39 therein a die cast gear carrier 41. This gear carrier has a circular portion 43 which is designed to be received in the opening 39 and to aid .in holding the carrier in position. The carrier 41 is further secured in position by bolts or other fastening means 45. The carrier 41 is provided with two meshing gears 47 and 49. Gear 47 is mounted on shaft 51 by the arms 53 extending from the carrier into the ball retainer 17. This gear 47 meshes with gear 33 on the spline shaft. Gear 49 is carried on shaft 55 journalled in bearing openings provided in the carrier and positioned on either side of a gear pocket 57. One end of said shaft and the bearing opening may be of kreduced dimensions as shown. The other end is as usual formed with a central bore and a slot 59 and is in engagement with a key 61 on the tip 63 carried by the end of the ieXible speedometer cable 64. The carrier member #i 41 may have an end threaded as shown in Fig.

3 to receive a nut 65 to which is secured the end of housing 67 for the flexible drive shaft of the speedometer cable. The attaching element 4for the speedometer cable forms no part of the present invention.

The drawings show shims between the carrier and the ball retainer. By the use of shims it is possible to substitute other gears for gears 47 and 49 whereby different ratios may be obtained. The purpose of such substitution is to make correction for changes in sizes of wheels or tires or driving ratios. When such changes are made the diameter of gear 47 will obviously be changed and a new .cen-

ter distance with reference to gear 33 must i be provided for. The shims associated with the fastening means between the carrier and the retainer are intended to effect such changed position of the gears. There is thus provided an extremely simple means for changing the speedometer drive gears, it being only necessary to substitute gears for gears 47 and 49, and to use such a number of shims as is necessary to make a correct meshing engagement between gear 33 and the substitute for gear 47.

It will be understood that this arrangement for driving the speedometer may be used regardless of the wa in which the ball retainer is made but t at it is of special utilit in connection with the stamped type of ba l retainer. The provision of the two gears in the carrier instead of one is made because of the relatively larger size of retainer, the large size being provided as explained above to permit the use of cap screws concealed within the retainer in place of fastening means outside the retainer as has been done heretofore.

I claim:

l. A hollow torque ball retainer having at one end an inwardly directed flange, internally located fastening means to secure said flange to said gear housing, said ball retainer being throughout its length radially greater than the radial distance of said fastening means, means to drive a measuring instrument associated with said ball retainer comprising acarrier, meshing gears mounted in said carrier, one of said gears to engage a gear 011 the spline shaft of the transmission, the other to operate a speedometer shaft, means to secure said carrier in adjusted position, relative to said ball retainer to permit interchange of gears.

2. A hollow torque ball retainer having at one end an inwardly directed lange,internally located fasteninglmeans to secure said fiange to said gear housing, said ball retainer being throughout its length radially greater than kthe radial distance of said fastening. means, means to drive a measuring instrument associated with said ball retainer comprising a carrier, meshing gears mounted in said carrier, one of said gears to engage a gear on the spline shaft of the transmission, the other to operate a speedometer shaft, means including shims to secure said carrier in adjusted position, relative to said ball retainer to permit interchange of gears.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM R. SMITH.

'Ill 

